Welcome to the online diary of a Central Oregon Grandmother (me) who is busy celebrating the positive portions of her everyday life ... along with her best friend husband (Cary). It is quite an eclectic diary and I try to do my best to incorporate a little bit of history into many of my posts. Your visit to our piece of American Pie is greatly appreciated. This chatty Kathy posts frequently, so coming back to visit often is highly encouraged.

Showing you Oregon,one post at a time. Did you know that I post the links of many of my stories and articles on the sidebar? When you have extra time, please scroll down to see more. At the bottom of this page there are links to many other blogs that I enjoy.

Hello, friends, thank you so much for stopping by. I really hope that you will enjoy your visit to Oregon Gifts. Due to spam, I am not accepting comments from anonymous people. Please email me at: oregongiftsofcomfortandjoy@hotmail.com if you are unable to leave a comment on here. I write back through email when I can.

My words and photographs are copyrighted, and may not be used without permission, even on Pinterest.

~ Kathy M.

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Don't Let the Bed Bugs Bite and Other Travel Concerns:

"Night-night, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite." How often have we said those words while tucking in our kids at night, never really thinking about what they mean? An old nursery rhyme that thankfully has no relevance in today's word . . . or does it?

Source: Wikipedia Commons

Bed bugs were nearly eradicated in America during the 1950's, when the now banned chemical DDT was killing them off. Unfortunately, bed bugs are now alive and well, and have made a huge comeback. Getting rid of them has become tedious, because they are so tiny and can live for up to a year with nothing to eat. There are specially trained dogs who can sniff out bed bugs. High heat (120*) is the one thing that will effectively kill them off.

From the run-down, dumpy motels to the nicest places you can stay, bed bugs are definitely a travel problem. Travelers unknowingly help to transfer them from one city to another, as the tiny creatures can hitch a ride on a suitcase to go to the next stop on the itinerary. The charts below explain what to look for.

To make matters worse, besides bed bugs, there is another worry out there for travelers: shoddy housekeeping. For one thing, housekeepers are not always changing the sheets in guestrooms! They are just re-making the bed inbetween new guests. Somebody checks out, somebody new checks in and the sheets stay the same. That is so gross; not to mention just plain laziness on the part of housekeeping. It makes me wonder what else is being skimmed over.

When you first arrive, make sure to pull back the covers all the way to the foot of the bed and inspect the sheets. Check for hair, indentations of previous people, and for any stains. Again, this happens in all room price ranges.

There are many articles out there on the internet on both of these subjects. I was recently talking to my friends who work in the hospitality industry and thought that I would share these two issues that are becoming more and more of a problem. Do you have any travel stories to share with us? Please leave a comment and tell us all about them, because inquiring minds want to know!

My husband works for a pest control company and recently did video footage for their training videos on a bed bug treatment. Fun stuff, let me tell you!

Ugh. Not a fun thought, but something definitely worth considering while traveling. However, having been to India and returning home with nothing more than a sore throat from the dry airplane air, I sort of feel immune! But I'm taking no chances :D

Good information to remember, unfortunately. The trick is to be aware of things like this, but not let them keep you from doing the things you really want to do. Of course, you've solved that by buying your 5th wheel! (And can Dana sniff out bedbugs?!)

The bed bug issue has worried me. Maybe because one of our close friends is an exterminator. (Their phone message is "Hello! What's bugging you?") They are around here in homes and in the motels. I can't imagine what I'd do if I brought them home--probably call Ken!

Contact Info:

There are a lot of photos and other graphics on here, so it may take a while to load if you have a slower internet connection. I really appreciate the fact that some of you wait patiently to see what I have posted. Thank you to all my readers! Please leave a comment or send me an email at: oregongiftsofcomfortandjoy@hotmail.com

About Me:

Welcome to "Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy" My name is Kathy Matthews and I live in Central Oregon with my best friend husband, Cary. I am a fifth generation Oregonian who loves to take pictures, write, create, and go places with Cary. My main blog, Oregon Gifts, is an online journal, where I try my best to celebrate the positive portions of everyday life. My other blogs are off-shoots into my particular interest areas. Please enjoy your visit, and leave a comment if you feel led. If you would like to email me, here is my email address: oregongiftsofcomfortandjoy@
hotmail.com
Thank you!

"Celebrating the Positive Portions of Everyday Life."

Most of the photos on these websites were taken by me. Others are from my friends and family's FB pages. Enjoy them, but please do not claim them as your own or use/copy them. Thanks! All rights reserved on the contents of this website. Created by Kathy Matthews of Central Oregon, November 2008.